Clearing board



Sept 3 i957 R. J. PURDY 2,804,656

CLEARING BOARD Filed May 17, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheetl l IN V EN TOR;

ROBERT .1. PURDY BY www E; M

ATTORNEYS R. J` PURDY CLEARING BOARD Sept. 3, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed lay 17, 1954 FIG.

INVENTOR. ROBERT J. PURDY ATTORNEYS 2,894,656 Patented Sept. 3, 1957 CLEARING BOARD Robert J. Purdy, Piqua, Ohio, assignor to The Orr Felt anll Blanket Company, Piqua, Ohio, a corporation of O io Application May 17, 1954, Serial No. 430,167

7 Claims. (Cl. 19-139) This invention relates to clearing devices for use in connection with textile machinery, and particularly to a disposable or easily reversible clearing device and a method of making such a device.

This invention is described with particular reference to a drawing frame, but it will be clear that the invention can be adapted to any position in textile machinery where it is necessary to maintain rolls and like machine elements free of lint.

ln drafting, roving and spinning frames the fibers are handled by roller combinations or by aprons, or combination thereof, through which the liber bundles are passed to draw them out during the forming of the thread or yarn. In a drafting system, for example, the roller combinations usually comprise a knurled metallic bottom roll and top roller having a rubber or rubber-like covering thereon, preferably a synthetic rubber.

As the fibers are drawn through the rollers sets there is always formed loose fibers, short fiber ends, and lint which have a tendency to be picked up by the rubber covered roll and adhered thereto. This tends to detract from the operation of the drafting system and will also tend to produce an irregular thread product because of the possibility of portions of such bundles of fibers pulling loose and being carried along with the fibers being drawn, thus forming slubs thereon resulting, of course, in a defective thread.

ln order to prevent this accumulation of loose fibers and fiber ends on the rubber-covered rolls, such drafting systems are usually provided with clearing devices which take the form of napped wool and cotton fabric lightly pressed against the rubber-covered rolls so that any loose fibers picked up by the rolls will be transferred to the clearing device and thereby prevent the fibers from accumulating on the rubber rolls. Such clearing devices sometimes take the form of rollers resting on the rubber rolls and at other times take the form of boards resting on the rolls.

The boards that have hitherto been used for this purpose have been wooden members having wire brackets on the underneath side that supports endless aprons of clearing cloth with the aprons being arranged to be adjusted on the wire brackets so that a fresh surface of the aprons can always be presented to the rubber-covered roll.

Boards of this nature are relatively expensive and, periodically, the aprons must be removed from them and replaced by new aprons, which operation is time consuming and expensive.

Having the foregoing in mind, it is a particular object of the present invention to provide a clearing board arrangement which is considerably less expensive than the conventional clearing board, and which can be discarded when the clearing cloth aprons thereon have been exhausted so that all the labor in connection with replacing the aprons on the wooden boards referred to above is entirely eliminated.

A still further object is the provision of a clearing board of the nature which is described that is adapted to be used with substantially any type drafting frame.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a clearing board structure which adapts itself to being produced by mass production methods.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will become more apparent upon reference to the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective View showing a drafting frame having a clearing board according to the present invention mounted thereon;

Figure 2 is a perspective view similar to Figure l;

Figure 3 is a perspective View indicated by line 3 3 on Fiffure 2 showing the manner in which the clearing board engages the drafting roll;

Figure 4 is a sectional view indicated by line 4-4 on Figure 2 showing the details of construction of the board;

Figure 5 is a sectional View indicated by line 5-5 on Figure 2 showing another detail of construction of the board;

Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the bottom panel member of the clearing board;

Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the manner in which a clearing board according to the present invention can be made by cementing the individual parts of the board together;

Figure 8 is a perspective view showing how the board can be provided with a smooth cover on the back in order to prevent lint from accumulating on the board;

Figure 9 is a perspective view showing a board of a somewhat different structure having plastic dome membersgand Figure l0 is a bottom view looking up from beneath the bottom of the top strip of the Figure 9 arrangement showing the manner in which the plastic dome members are flanged beneath the top strip of the clearing board.

Referring to the drawings somewhat more in detail, the drafting unit illustrated in Figure l consists of the back bottom roll l@ having the knurled portions 12 and the front bottom roll 14 having the knurled portions 16. The frame also comprises the back top roll 18 having the rubber-like portions 20 thereon bearing on the knurled portions f2 of the back bottom roll l0. The front top roll ZZ has the rubber-like portions 24 bearing on the knurled portions i6 of the front bottom roll 14,

As is well known in the drafting art, the front rolls run at a considerably higher speed than the back rolls, up to, say, ten times as fast. This produces the desired drafting of the fibers, but at the same time, in stretching and pulling out the fibers, some thereof are broken and others pulled loose so that lint is freed from the fiber bundle during the drafting which tends to accumulate on the top rolls, particularly on the back top rolls.

For removing this accumulation of lint from the back top roll, there is provided the clearing board generally designated 26 which is merely a fiat board like member slotted as at 2S for fitting over the parts 3i) of the drafting frame so that the board merely rests of its own weight on the back top roll.

On the underside of board 25 there is provided a plurality of aprons 32 of clearing cloth. Such clearing cloth is merely a simple woven fabric, generally cotton warp, with a wool filling and napped on one side. The clearing cloth is cut into strips with the opposite ends of each strip being joined to form endless aprons, and these aprons are mounted on the board with the napped side out so as to rest on the surface of the rolls to be cleared.

The sectional view in Figure 3 will show how one of the aprons 32 engages its corresponding rubber-covered portion 20 of the back top roll 18. The board 26 in Figure 3 preferably includes on the underneath side an elongated-stitfening rib structure 34 which'serves not only to stiffen'the clearing board against bending and warping, but also provides a projection along that `portion of apron 32 which is adjacent the rear of the roll on which the apron is `resting thereby increasing the wrap of the apron about the roll and improving theetlciency of operation of the apron.

Regarding the structure of the board 26, it will be seen in Figures -Zthrough 5 to consist of `a substantially uninterrupted top panel 40, preferably of a relativelylstii cardboard, a bottom panel member 42, and a plurality of filler pieces as at 44 disposed betweengthe top and `bottom panel members and spaced apart-toprovide slots 46 running from Vfront to backof the assembled board for receiving theaprons 32. Staples 4S `are provided yfor 'securingthe :portions of the board togetheras a permanent assembly.

The bottom panel member l42, as has been mentioned previou'sly, is advantageously provided with a'stiffening rib-portion 34 which may be an integral portion lof `the Lbottom panelmember, or maybe an additionalpart'set into an aperture in the bottom panel member and cerr'ie'nted thereto, or otherwise suitably axed tofthe surface of the bottom panel member.

One yof the lpreferred ways of forming the rib on the bottom panel member 42 is illustrated in Figure 6 wherein it lwill be -seen inwardly from the end of the bottom panel member itselfthere is a-transverse incision L50 with a portion 52 being cut outffrom the bottom panel 1member between the incision 5) and-the endV of the panel member. This leaves a portion 54 which can be bent outwardly in the form of a V and the side adjacent of the opening at -52 in the bottom panel members are drawn together. This provides for the stiffening'rib= being integral with the bottom panel member and simplifies the Aconstruction and manufacture of the clearing board-'by reducing the number of partsin the board'and the-nurnber of assembling operations required to put the board together.

'Figures 2 through 5 show a clearing board that is 'assembled and then stapled together. This provides a satisfactory assembling job, but it is also possible toassemble the board'by adhesively connecting the top and 'bottom panels Vand the filler pieces therebetween. 'Such an arrangement is illustrated in Figure 7 wherein the top panel is indicated at 56, the'bottom panel is indicated at S8, and the ller pieces are indicated 'at 60 with'ad- `he`sivebeing applied to the said panels andiller pieces as indicated at 62 so they can be pressed together and will remain in assembled relationship thereafter.

In Figure 7 the vstilfening rib element at 64 can be a part separatev from the bottom` panel member-58, orcan be integral therewith as illustrated in Figure'. The advantage of Jthe Figure 7 construction is the elimination of the metallic staples 48, thereby eliminating -acostly machine operation in connection with assembling ythe board and likewise eliminating metal parts from the board so that, :when ythe board is discarded, the used clearing clothiaprons can be removed therefrom andthe remaining part of the board will consist of a high quality cardboard scrap 1free of metal.

It is a further advantage of theFigure 7 construction to besuch that the top surface of the board is uninterfupted by any depressions or protrusions as would occur when using rivets or staples, and there is thus less accumulation of lint on the back of the board and the lint thereon can easily be wiped off.

The top panel'of the clearing board of Figure 7 can'be provided with a coating of some, sorty in lorder to make it even smoother Ithan the untreated cardboard, or cardboard having one side sized or treated could be used if so desired.

The possibility also exists of cementing to the exposed face of the top panel member a smooth cover sheet as at 66 in Figure 8. The provisions of such a cover sheet will make the top surfaceof any of the clearing boards described previously smooth, and thus not subject to any lint accumulation lthat could not readily be wiped off.

Certain drafting units on which the clearing board of the present `invention is adapted for use have members extending upwardly between the sections of the top rolls, such members are generally the saddles by means of which pressure. is applied. to the y rolls.

In drafting unitsofthis nature the clearing board according to the present 'invention can readily be adapted by providing the board with apertures as at 68 in Figures 9 and l0 for receiving the upstanding members. These apertures Iaretpreferably closed as:by yplastic dome mem- -bers .7.0 in'Figures 9 and 10and which dome members zare :preferably'provided1with a flanged portion 72 extending outwardly from the periphery of the dome memybersron theaundersideof the Vtop strip of the clearing .boardand including end parts-74 turned up at the front -andrbackedgerof the top strip.

The'FiguresS and l0 arrangement has the advantage of protecting the top strip of the clearing board from oil and, grease which might bethrown out from the top roll atthelpo'mt-where it is engagedfby the said saddle.

yFro'1r1.=t.he 'foregoing `it-,will :be seen that what is pro- ,vide'dzbyi thef present invention is a clearing board structurezadapted for use in any place where the present con- `ventionalvwooden. clearing board structures are used havling tas fully 'as long a service life for the aprons therein as doesfthe. conventional Vwooden clearing board by beingparticularly:advantageously characterized in that the .clearing.board,;according to thisinvention, can be discarded once the aprons have been used up, thus eliminat- :ingthe'costyof servicing vthe wooden board, reducing the inventory tied up in clearing boards, and also providing :that whenever-a clearing' board'according to the present invention is exhausted ittwill be replacedby a clean clearing boardthat will prevent any soiling of the fibers 'beingrdrafted It will be understood that I do not wish to be limited vto `what vhas been -shownand described in this application,

butfdesire to comprehendwithin my invention all such changestandmodicationsand adaptations of the inven- --and between adjacent aprons, and means permanently .connecting said `strips andspacer elements together.

2. In a clearing board vfor-a drafting frame; a cap comprisinga firstfstrip of-'stiff material, a plurality of endless clearing :aprons surrounding the strip and spaced therealong,a.second:strip yofstiff. material on top -of said first strip, spacer elements between the strips at the ends and Vvbetween adjacent aprons, andmeans .permanently connecting said strips and spacer elements together, the upperside offs'aid Vsecond strip having aismooth surface that can readily be cleaned of lint.

-3. In a clearing board-for a drafting frame; a cap comprising a first strip of stiff material, a plurality of endless clearing laprons vsurrounding the strip and spaced therealong, a second strip -of stiff material on top of said first'strip, spacer elements between 'the strips at the ends -and between yadjacent aprons, -and meanspermanently Vconnecting saids'tripsands'pacer elements together, said projecting do-wnwardly yinto engagement with the insides of said aprons.

4. In a clearing board for a drafting frame; a cap comprising a first strip of stift material, a plurality of endless clearing aprons surrounding the strip and spaced therealong, a second strip of stiif material on top of said irst strip, spacer elements between the strips at the ends and between adjacent aprons, and means permanently connecting said strips and spacer elements together, said strips comprising registering apertures in at least one of the spaces between adjacent aprons to receive a part on the drafting frame, and a member in the said aperture in the said second strip closing the same while providing clearance for said part.

5. In a clearing board for a drafting frame; a cap cornprising a first strip of stiff material, a plurality of endless clearing aprons surrounding the strip and spaced therealong, a second strip of stiff material on top of said first strip, spacer elements between the strips at the ends and between adjacent aprons, and means permanently connecting said strips and spacer elements together, said strips comprising registering apertures in at least one of the spaces between adjacent aprons to receive a part on the drafting frame, and a member in the said aperture in said second strip closing the same while providing clearance for said part, said member comprising a flange overlying the bottom of the said second strip in the region of the apertures to protect the said strip from grease and oil thrown oi by the drafting frame.

6. In a clearing board for a drafting frame; a cap comprising a first strip of stii material, a plurality of endless clearing aprons surrounding the strip and spaced therealong, a second strip of stiff material on top of said first strip, spacer elements between the strips at the ends and between adjacent aprons, and means permanently connecting said strips and spacer elements together, said rst strip having a stiifening rib integral therewith projecting downwardly therefrom between the front and back edges of the strip.

7. In a clearing device for a textile machine; a cap comprising a first strip of stii material, a plurality of endless clearing aprons surrounding said strip and spaced vtherealong, a second strip `of stiff material arranged substantially parallel to said first strip and spaced from the rst strip on top thereof and means fixedly connecting said strips together while holding them in said parallel spaced relation, the said parallel spaced arrangement of said strips providing space between the strips through which the aprons can move in being adjusted on the clearing device and also imparting stiffness and strength to the device while maintaining the device light and with a minimum of material embodied therein.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

